


My job is to be here for you

by AmoraRisa



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Donald Duck Needs a Hug, Family, Family Dinners, Louie Duck Needs a Hug, Parent Donald Duck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27111067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmoraRisa/pseuds/AmoraRisa
Summary: After the events of  "Quack Pack!", Donald decides to stop adventuring and finds a job. The triplets are quite skeptical...
Relationships: Daisy Duck/Donald Duck, Dewey Duck & Donald Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Dewey Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Dewey Duck & Louie Duck, Donald Duck & Louie Duck, Huey Duck & Louie Duck
Comments: 14
Kudos: 167





	My job is to be here for you

“Huey, can I ask something?” Dewey approached his older brother hesitantly.

“Sure, what is it?” he replied without looking up from his homework.

“Does uncle Donald give you weird presents too?”

“If by weird you mean super expensive, then yes!” Huey closed his notebook and got up from his chair. “Seriously, the other day he gave me a Keppler’s 2000 telescope!”

“He really knows you well” Dewey nodded. “And he took me those roller skaters I saw on TV, remember?”

“How can I forget? You were murmuring the song from the ad for at least one week!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault it’s catchy” Dewey winked. “Anyways, what I’m saying is that stuff like that is not exactly cheap, especially with a salary like his”.

“Yes, but now that we live in the mansion he doesn’t have any expenses at all, right? My guess is he wants to make up for not being able to buy us many toys when we were younger”, Huey explained.

“Maybe we should talk to him about it. I mean, I’m not ungrateful! I really appreciate that he’s thinking about us, but honestly? If we want something, uncle Scrooge can pay for it. Uncle Donald doesn’t have to buy us expensive presents”.

Louie’s sleepy head emerged from under his warm blankets.

“Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe that’s what uncle Donald really _wants_ to spend money on?” Louie’s voice sounded from his bed.

“Oh, you’re here?” Huey asked surprised. “I thought you were in the houseboat. You spend a lot time there lately”.

“Of course, now that uncle Donald has money, Louie became his bestie” Dewey said nastily.

“Well, you are mom’s bestie, so I figured we’d be even”.

“Guys, stop!” Huey shouted. “I thought we talked about this. Don’t start again!”

Louie took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “Huey’s right, I’m sorry”.

“Yeah, me too. But regardless, I just wanted to say that you can’t defend uncle Donald just because you like his presents”.

“I agree with Dewey. You may like his expensive gifts, but we should care more about our uncle who’s working hard to buy them! We can’t take advantage of him!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Louie waved his hands. “Listen here! Do I have any scruples about taking advantage of rich slash middle class, even sometimes poor people, even under their noses? Absolutely no! But taking advantage of uncle Donald is a completely different thing! I would never, I mean ever, place my interest before his! How could you think that?”

“Lou, we just—”

“Getting my hands on uncle Scrooge’s money? Fine! No guilt at all! But uncle Donald? I’d never do that! And you know what? My gift wasn’t worth five hundred bucks, it was an old special edition action figure I was looking for since I was six! And uncle Donald found it in a yard sale and he remembered it! It cost him like three bucks, but it’s the best present anyone bought for me and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world!”

“We’re sorry, Louie. We didn’t imply that you would—”

“No, it’s okay. I understand. Just know that I’m not defending our uncle because he buys gifts, but because I sincerely think that he’s happy with that lifestyle. When I broke my leg and I stayed for a month at the houseboat, it was really good, guys! And when you all left for another adventure and the two of us stayed behind, I actually enjoyed it! Maybe you just have to accept that uncle Donald is not into adventure, and that isn’t necessarily bad. I’m sure he would go to the end of the world if something happened to us, but he just wants a normal life!”

Huey and Dewey remained silent.

“We had a normal life for many years, and it wasn’t exactly… perfect” Dewey said.

“You think a single man raising triplets without a steady job is a normal life?” Louie asked. “And yes, it was difficult. There were some rough times. But sometimes I think that I preferred it then. Before all this uncertainty, before dangerous adventures”.

“Before mum?”

“Dewey, stop it. That’s not what Lou’s trying to say” Huey intervened again. “Let’s all calm down and get back again to our original topic. Uncle Donald’s gifts”.

“Can’t you see he’s genuinely happy to have money of his own and buy us presents? You don’t have to question it, just say thanks and enjoy it!” Louie said. “He doesn’t do it out of guilt or to make up for anything. And when he says he doesn’t like adventure, maybe instead of trying to convince him to join us and move past his trauma, that is by the way completely justifiable, we should respect that! Have you ever thought that he stays out of adventure not because he’s afraid, but simply because he’s responsible?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s a parent, for goodness sake!” Louie snapped. “Something that neither Scrooge nor mom can understand! Mom came back after ten years and she’s doing again exactly what caused her to vanish! At least with uncle Donald I can be assured that if something ever happens on an adventure, I’ve got him”.

“What are you talking about?” Dewey cut him off. “Uncle Scrooge won’t let anything happen to us! He will protect us. He’s the richest duck in the world! The king of Klodike, the-”

“Where was he to protect us for eleven years? Excuse me, but my experience says that the only one I can really trust to be there is uncle Donald”.

“That belongs in the past. Now uncle Scrooge is here and he takes care of us” Huey reassured him and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I know. I don’t mean to blame him. I’m just saying that there many things that he can’t control. Even he, with all that money and resources, couldn’t find mom on the moon”.

No one talked for the next few seconds. Louie sighed and got off his bed.

“I’m going to the houseboat” he said. “Uncle Donald is making chili tonight. He told me to tell you that you can come too if you want”.

The younger triplet left the room without waiting for an answer. Huey and Dewey looked at each other. They wouldn’t miss that dinner for the world.

At first it was awkward.

Louie sat next to their uncle, with a grumpy expression all over his place.

Dewey kept looking at his plate, and though he liked chili, this time he wasn’t enthusiastic as usual.

Huey was too worried about everyone else’s feelings that he didn’t even touch his plate.

“Alright, boys, what’s the matter?” their uncle Donald’s worried voice interrupted their thoughts.

“It’s nothing” Dewey shrugged.

“We shouldn’t worry you with our problems. You wanted a peaceful dinner with us and we’re not going to ruin it”.

“Huey, that’s true, but I want it to be real. You don’t have to pretend in front of me. You can tell me”.

Dewey broke first.

“I just don’t understand why you have to work” Dewey said. “Uncle Scrooge made you?”

Donald’s eyes widened. That wasn’t a conversation he expected.

“No! He actually said the exact opposite, that I don’t have to worry about financial matters from now on and I can live in the mansion. I’m not doing it for him. But you must understand that I’m a grown up. I can’t rely on my uncle. Besides, I want to do something for myself. And I don’t want to be just the lazy uncle who hangs around the mansion all day. I want to make you boys proud of me”.

“How can you think we are not already proud?” Huey asked. “We _know_ how you spent the last eleven years and we’ve seen firsthand that you’re the most hardworking person we’ve met”.

“Yeah, uncle Donald!” Dewey said. “You have already worked more than enough for a lifetime”.

“Do you even like your job?” Louie spoke for the first time.

Donald seemed taken aback by that question and stuttered a bit before answering.

“I… I can’t exactly afford to like the first job I can find. You understand, right? I have a speech impediment, I am too old to start something new and I don’t have a degree because I dropped out of the university to be with you. In other words, I’m not exactly what employers look for”.

“But you have experience in so many jobs!” Dewey protested.

“Those weren’t jobs that required skills. Anyone could be a night guard, a dishwasher or a laundry worker”.

“Yeah, but do you like your job?” Louie repeated.

Donald patted his little duckling’s head. Under his disagreeable expression, he could see his sincere concern.

“I confess, it’s a bit weird being older than your boss” Donald giggled. “I’m grateful to Gladstone for helping me find this job. Well, he didn’t actually get into any trouble. His luck did everything, but still. I’m going to be honest with you, my first day there was awful. But I got to know my coworkers. And now I actually wake up excited to go to work, not just because of the environment, but because I have more responsibilities as time goes by and I’m evolving professionally”.

“Yeah, and I guess miss Daisy’s presence is an added bonus” Dewey murmured.

Donald tried to hide his blush and said:

“Um… Sure! It’s good to develop friendly relationships with your co-workers”.

“Friendly? Really? Just that?” Huey questioned him. “Should I call her ‘auntie’ next time I see her?”

“I ’ve already prepared my speech for the reception” Dewey elbowed his uncle and winked.

“Cut it off, boys! I said we ‘re friends! I called you here for dinner, not for interrogation! Now eat your damn chili and stop talking. We don’t talk while eating”.

“It was you who insisted that we talked”.

“Dewey’s got a point” Huey remarked.

“Huey, eat your chili” Donald said, trying to keep his anger inside.

Nobody said a thing, but when their eyes met, they knew: They had all missed this. It had been a while since the four of them were left alone.

“Uncle Donald, thank you for the chili! It was awesome” Huey said as he got up from his chair.

“Can I have some more?” Dewey asked impatiently.

“No” Donald replied. “I think three dishes of chili are enough for you tonight, Dewey”.

“Can we help you wash the dishes?” Huey offered.

“No, it’s too late. Go to sleep, I’ll handle it”.

“Are you sure?” Dewey asked.

“Yes, yes!” their uncle insisted. “Good night and sweet dreams!”

“You too, uncle Donald” Dewey yawned and walked to the door, next to Huey.

“Lou, are you coming?” Huey asked his younger brother, who was still sitting in the table.

“I’ll sleep here, guys. Go ahead without me”.

“K. Dewey out” the middle brother opened the door, before Huey stopped him.

“Hold on a second. Dewey, I think we owe uncle Donald an apology”.

“A what?” their uncle didn’t know if he had heard right.

“We should have respected more your decision to drop out of adventures, and support your new life-style. If your job makes you happy, then we are happy too. Even though we don’t get to see you a lot”.

“We can change that!” Dewey added. “We should come here on the houseboat more often. We have a great time and we love your chili!”

“We may love adventures, but having you as an uncle is the best treasure we have found in our lives” Huey said.

Donald hastily wiped a tear and opened his arms.

“Come here, boys!”

Huey and Dewey ran to his embrace.

Donald felt like he was in heaven with two of his boys in his arms. But something was missing.

“Louie?” he looked up to the younger boy sitting still in his chair, with his hoodie on. And it didn’t take anything more to make him get up and join them.

“No matter if I go to adventures or not… and no matter if I work or not… my job is to be here for you always” Donald reassured his ducklings.


End file.
